Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Man With a Plan

I was never one of those kids who had a life plan from an early age. I wanted to be a ballerina, a teacher, a horse trainer. I am none of those things. So I am totally fascinated by my middle child who has a very specific goal and a very specific plan.

Luke is going to be a Broadway Star. His first year at the Pensacola Children's Chorus planted the seed. He got to be Santa at the Christmas show, and that was all he needed. I knew he wasn't shy. The kid has never kept a thought to himself with me or a stranger. But I had no idea he would love performing. After that first show, I realized that he performs his life. I kind of knew that, but now I really see it (and at times it can be a bit annoying).

Sometime last year, Luke came to me and said the following. Keep in mind that Luke takes no breaths and talks really, really fast:

So, Mama, how long do you have to go to college to be on Broadway? (I say probably 4 years would be okay.) Okay, so I will go to college for 4 years, then I am going to get on Broadway, then I am going to win a Tony because I Googled it and they are really cool, and then I am going to win a Nobel Prize.

I asked what the Nobel Prize was going to be for and he was undecided. Good to leave your options open, I think.

Luke is also very athletic and stocky. He is good at soccer and was planning to play this year again. As I was questioning the boys about their activities for the year, Luke made an announcement:

I think I need to take a dance class instead of soccer. I think it would help further my Broadway career.

Well, okay then. He originally thought he would start with jazz, I think because he has used "jazz hands" in Chorus. I told him that most dance schools start you with ballet to get a good foundation, but that I would call the dance school. The dance school said ballet, and Luke said, "I'm fine with that."

An aside, Joseph upon hearing about the ballet thing commented to Luke out of the side of his mouth, "I bet you'll get to meet lots of hot girls!" Luke, to his credit, said, "I am not in it for the girls, I am in it for the dance."

So after teaching dance for 20 years, there I was sewing elastic on ballet shoes for my son. I never thought I would get to take a kid to dance class. He slept with his ballet shoes on the foot of his bed the night before his first class. And he loves it. He walked into that class, the only boy, and never had a second thought. The next thing I knew, he had auditioned for the Nutcracker.

I truly get a kick out of watching Luke perform his way through his life. I love that he is confident enough to do what he wants without a second thought. And he just may become a Broadway Star...